The Orlando Magic invested a great deal into fortifying their core this offseason, even offering Paolo Banchero a sizable contract extension, securing his place on the roster for the foreseeable future. However, with the Magic placing eighth in the East with a 23-22 record, some changes may be necessary.
While the trade deadline could be an ideal period for the Magic to make roster upgrades, a report by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon on a recent episode of “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” could hint at a move involving Paolo Banchero.
“There’s a lot of talk around the league that Paolo and Jamahl Mosley might not be seeing eye to eye,” MacMahon claimed. “The one thing I would say about that is that I know Jamahl Mosley well, and every stop of his coaching career, he’s been absolutely beloved by players.”
MacMahon and the rest of the panel noted how Paolo Banchero was negatively affecting the team on both ends of the floor, with the Magic’s offense often stagnating once the ball is in the forward’s hands. When additionally factoring in Orlando’s cap space concerns and the tensions brewing between Banchero and Mosley, the franchise may be heading for a difficult situation.
Despite Banchero’s averages of 21.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game this season, the Magic may need to take a conservative approach and make a trade to get below the luxury tax. On this note, Yahoo Sports’ Jason Burgos mentioned that this could be an opportunity for the Boston Celtics to pursue the Magic’s star forward.
How Can The Celtics Acquire Paolo Banchero?
Even without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have looked like a formidable unit. With a 29-18 record, Boston is tied for second in the East with the New York Knicks. Behind Jaylen Brown‘s heroic performances this season and some inspired contributions by the Celtics’ role players, the team has managed to remain competitive this season.
Currently, the Celtics appear to be competitive enough to make a deep playoff run. However, if the team is looking to make a significant upgrade, taking a flyer on Paolo Banchero may not be the worst idea.
While the 23-year-old is an immensely gifted offensive player, his three-point shooting (29.2% 3PT) leaves more to be desired. In a perimeter-heavy system like Boston’s, this could be the biggest concern, along with his inefficient offensive approach.
Still, at 6’10”, Banchero is more than capable of addressing the team’s frontcourt issues. His athleticism and rebounding help shore up some key pain points for Boston, and considering that he also possesses tremendous star power, he could be a notable addition to the core.
So how would the Celtics go about acquiring him?
The major issue with acquiring Paolo Banchero lies in his contract. Although he only has a $15.3 million cap hit on Orlando this season, given that this is a poison pill contract, the Celtics would effectively be taking on a $42.6 million hit.
Hence, a potential package for Banchero would include Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, Chris Boucher, and Xavier Tillman, along with a first-round pick.
The Magic would view this deal quite favorably. The expiring contracts of Simons, Boucher, and Tillman would allow Orlando to clear approximately $32.5 million in cap space next season. While this wouldn’t necessarily make the team more competitive, it would give the Magic a better frame of reference to restructure their roster.
For the Celtics, acquiring Banchero could transform the team into a legitimate title contender, especially if Jayson Tatum returns in due time. Though this may have a negative impact on Banchero’s development, from the standpoint of playing winning basketball, the star may find himself in a better position.
Realistically, however, this trade may not pan out well for the Celtics in the long run. Given the salary shedding exercise the franchise underwent this season because of the pressure from the luxury tax aprons, Boston may find itself in a similar situation by acquiring Paolo Banchero.
Hence, unless the Celtics were willing to move on from one of their superstars, acquiring another would be unwise.
